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Separate courts: but what about Chandigarh?

The demand for a separate High Court for Haryana also brings to mind the issue of transfer of Chandigarh that still remains an unsolved and vexed matter since the late sixties (Oped /Law, July 3). Whenever a separate High Court for Haryana is set up or else a division is effected within the same building as is also being suggested, a dispute might arise that which of the two High Courts should hear cases regarding Chandigarh.

Surrender by any one side in favour of another would weaken the claim of the former over the Union Territory, which as of now is the joint capital of both states. The best remedy would lie in delegating cases relating to Chandigarh to specially constituted benches of requisite strength wherein judges could be drawn either from other High Courts of India or else the ratio of 60:40 from High Courts of Punjab and Haryana respectively.

In addition to separate High Courts, the combined Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana would also warrant a suitable division. One hopes all these complexities are sorted out in time before setting up the Haryana High Court. It would be better if Punjab and Haryana agree to rename the court as Chandigarh High Court at least until the issue of the Chandigarh’s transfer is sorted out.

Hemant KUMAR, Advocate, Ambala City

Dubious e-mails

The article “Fishy phishing” by C Rama Krishna (July 2) was useful. Notification mails promising lucrative prizes can attract any person and ultimately one might be swayed to leak personal information. Now a days e-mail accounts are flooded with such dubious mails. The common man should be made conscious of the pitfalls of such misleading mails.

GAGANDEEP KAUR, Chandigarh

II

The article was informative and is likely to be of benefit to the Internet users. Most of us face similar problems while using the Internet. Such articles increase awareness and provide information as well.  

VARUN KUMAR YADAV, Mathura

Food inflation

The sharp fall in the food inflation from 16.90 per cent to 12.92 per cent in the third week of June 2010 does not promise any hope of a lasting respite from the ever-rising food prices. The recent hike in diesel prices would have its effect on the food inflation. As the transportation cost will rise, it will ultimately push up the food prices. No significant respite is expected in the coming months.

JYOTI GARG, Patiala

Good effort

The Tribune Interview (July 2) by Editor-in-Chief Raj Chengappa with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank shows how small hill states are making efforts to beautify tourist spots and develop eco-friendly small hydro power projects of 25 MW to cover the demand supply gap.

Moreover they are trying to solve the water crisis. To upgrade the existing airports and to develop helipads in every district too is a laudable step that would boost tourism. Interviews with prominent personalities, especially chief ministers of different states, help one to learn more about various states.

KAMALJIT MALWA, Mansa

Khaps raising non-issue To Dr Prem Singh Dahiya’s letter on the same gotra marriages (June 28) I would like to add that the khap panchayats in Haryana are being projected as social organisations by some though these have not launched an agitation on any important social issue during the last five decades. They have only been meddling in marital affairs. There is a campaign against marriages in the same gotra and among close relatives. It is argued that children suffer from genetic disorders if there is a marriage between two individuals with the same genetic code. However, the reality is that there has been a lot of intermixing and there is no purity of genetic code or blood anywhere in the world today. There are a number of instances of the same gotra marriages among the Sikh Jats of Punjab. Is there any evidence of genetic disorders in the offspring? Not the least. There is a practice of marriages among close relatives in the South and many other communities in India. There has been a spate of cases of caste panchayat in Haryana issuing barbaric edicts on marital alliances in the recent past. As far as I know, there is not a single instance of the same gotra marriage in these cases excepting one in a village in Kaithal district, leading to the elimination of the couple. Exceptional cases would occur in future too, whatever be the law. Couples would elope and may opt for religious conversion. The Supreme Court ruling permits live-in relationship without marriage. If such a couple is harassed or hounded to death, the law should haul up the culprits. The Hindu Marriage Act permits a community to follow its customs over and above other stipulations laid down in the Act. Jats in the khap belt are at liberty to follow their customs without transgressing the law. So, where is the need to amend the Act? The khap elements are trying to create a hype on a non-issue. There are more significant issues like female foeticide, use of intoxicants, mounting corruption, escalating crime graph, growing unemployment, rising prices and crisis in agriculture, which should be taken up by khaps. D.R. CHAUDHRY, Member, Haryana Administrative Reforms Commission, Chandigarh